Broken
by Amywxue
Summary: Minimum Overload - a theory that the scientists who studied Minimum Holders had come up with. When a Holder's mind breaks, their powers go berserk along with them. But since no Holder has ever broken, the theory remained just that - a theory. Until now. Can they get him back? After all, the Nowhere Cafe isn't the same without him there... PREVIOUSLY IN MISC CATEGORY.
1. How it All Began

******Hello, Minna-san! This story was PREVIOUSLY IN THE MISC CATEGORY, as there was not a specific section for Hamatora. But now that here IS, I have moved it. Sorry for anyone who was looking for this story and couldn't find it...  
**

******Thank you to cutekitty5597 for telling me about it!**

******I have just started watching this amazing series and am already a huge fan. And this idea just wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it.**

******Note: this could be considered slight AU, as I am pretty sure the stuff I made up in here is impossible in the original series... but then again, this is FanFICTION, right? **

******So yeah, some of the stuff in here is completely made up...**

******Warning: Contains possible OOCness and my horrible writing...**

******Disclaimer: I do not own Hamatora the Animation.**

******「**それはすべてが始まったか。。。**」**

**「****How It All Began…****」**

"Ne, did you hear? About that murder case?"

_「__その殺人事__件__。。。__」_

_「That murder case…__」_

"Uh huh…"

"What case?"

"Eh?! You don't know?! _The _murder case! The one where random bodies are found in abandoned buildings – and with their limbs all chopped off!"

"EH!?"

"Yeah… it's scary…"

"Let's hurry back…"

The group of chattering school girls made their way past the small café located on the corner of the street. The sign that hung above the door read 'Nowhere Café'. An odd name, one might say. But, though very few people know of this, the queer name was nowhere as unique and mind-baffling as some of the individuals who currently resided with the room.

A certain auburn-haired teen slouched on the bar bench within the café glanced up at the whispers that a normal person would almost certainly have missed. His blue eyes looked back down to the piece of paper that was being presented to him by the young tailed girl behind the bar. A pair of lime green headphones bounced on his shoulders as he sat up and stretched.

"So there actually _is_ someone lame enough to go around chopping the limbs off his victims?" The adolescent boy whistled as he drummed a finger against the paper. "Now _that's_ taking it _far_."

"The pay is fair enough, though," pointed out a silver-haired man who sat next to the other male. He pushed his red edged glasses further up the bridge of his nose with his index finger as he took the request sheet from his partner. "30,000,000 yen… that's quite the amount."

_「__今日の仕事__- __ミステリージャック__·__ザ__·__リッパーケース__。。。」_

_「Today's job – the Mystery Jack The Ripper Case…__」_

"Eh? It's rare to hear stuff like that from you, Murasaki," the auburn teen said, raising a teasing eyebrow.

"I am merely stating the facts," Murasaki replied as he placed the paper back on the counter.

A young black-haired girl's stomach growled. "I'm hungry."

"Hajime-chan, give me a break!" complained the azure eyed boy, spreading his fingers out. "I haven't even had any food in two days!"

A blond haired teen with shades was playing with a taser at the next table, throwing it into the air then catching it again. "Still a poor detective with no money to his name, huh?"

"Shut up, Birthday!"

There was the light tinkling of glass as the girl put away the glass she had been drying and picked up another one.

Birthday only grinned wider, his eyes glittering with amusement. "So how much do you have? 100 yen? 50 yen? You must be desperate if you haven't eaten in two days. What, 30 yen?"

The other male scowled. "… 10 yen," he muttered. Birthday immediately exploded into a fit of maniacal laughter, almost dropping his taser. Hajime's stomach rumbled again.

"T-ten yen!" he choked out, slapping his hand against his thighs. "T-t-ten yen!"

A navy haired man dressed in a white doctor's suit and a dark eyepatch over his right eye looked up over the top of the newspaper he was immersed in. "You'll choke you know, Birthday."

"T-t-t-ten ye-en! That's pretty impressive, even for you, Nice. It must be an _all-time low!_"

_「__すべての手足、なくなって__。。。__」_

___「All the limbs, gone…」_

Nice rolled his eyes at his friends' childish antics, then went back to reading the request that was his next meal ticket after two whole days of foodless suffering. "Alright! Let's get this over with so I can eat some _food_! Ya comin or not, Murasaki?"

Murasaki adjusted his glasses. "I suppose, since you'll probably screw up such a big catch if you went by yourself."

"Hey!"

"Be careful," the bald, dark skinned man behind the bar warned as he continued to turn the handle of that machine of his. "Big rewards always means big danger."

A truck rumbled passed outside.

Nice grinned, grabbing the precious paper and leaping to his feet. "You got it, Master!"

With that, the Hamatora PI duo strode through the door.

As Koneko looked up in time to see Nice walking outside, the door swinging shut behind him, an involuntary shiver went down from her head to the tip of her tail. Noticing this, Master paused and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," the glasses girl admitted. Why did she have that sudden feeling of foreboding? Why did she sense that something was not right?

Why did she want to tell Nice not to go on this job?

_「__何かがこの方法で来る吸い上げ__。。。__」_

_「Something wicked this way comes…__」_

Koneko hesitated, her tail twitching. Her instincts had never failed her before. But this was _Nice_ they were talking about. Even though he did have a slight reputation of being impulsive, the Minimum Holder was more than capable of taking care of himself… right?

"I just have a really bad feeling…"

* * *

The first part of the plan – predicting and locating the place where the killer may plan of striking next – had been the easy bit.

It was the second part that posed a bit of a problem.

"Stay back!" Screamed the pale man pressed and cornered against the wall. His eyes were sunken deep into his skull, and his entire body had a skeletal appearance. His hands were covered in fresh blood.

_「__血__。。。__」_

_「Blood…__」_

Murasaki stood as calm and composed as ever, one hand causally in his pocket, the other reaching for his glasses. "Don't make any stupid moves now," he warned.

"Stay back!" the man repeated, spittle flying off his lips. His eyes were wide and bloodshot. They held more than a little madness within them.

"Still, how did you do all this?" Nice mused, his nose crinkling with distaste as he eyed the now bloodied, limbless body of a man sprawled out on the floor of the old two-story building. They had found various pieces of the corpse lying around the other rooms of the house before reaching the attic where the serial killer was. The final limb – the victim's right leg – lay three feet away from the gaping hole in his body where the body part was supposed to be. Judging from the amount of blood and gore, it had only been forcefully removed minutes prior to the duos' arrival. A thought struck him. "Are you a Minimum Holder?"

_「__狂気__。。。__」_

_「Insanity…__」_

The older man's eyes widened, then a crazy grin crossed his features. "Since you know about me, then I assume that you're one too?"

Nice looked down at him with disgust. "Even if I am, I would never sink to the level of someone like you."

The man laughed – a high, insane cackle. "Then we're comrades!" he said gleefully. "We're the same! Don't you feel it? _We're_ superior! _We_ should be the ones ruling those inferior humans. That's why I'm doing this – to show them their place!"

"You're sick," Nice decided. "Don't lump us in together with your lot."

The man only cackled louder in response. "Very well… since my kin has asked, I'll show you!"

From within the folds of his overlarge coat, the madman pulled out a small, bloodied chainsaw. The crimson liquid dripped from the deadly sharp edges and dripped sickeningly onto the floor. "Their screams are music to my ears as this little beauty does her work!"

Nice's expression darkened. This guy… To kill them is one thing. But to cut off their arms and legs when they were still alive and conscious… that just took 'sick' to a whole new level.

"Don't you talk that 'comrade' and 'kin' trash with me," the teen snarled. Murasaki's glanced at his companion's face, then let his hand beside his glasses fall. To make Nice this mad… well, this guy sure was going to find out the consequences.

"But I haven't finished!" the man grinned. His head tilted at an angle that should not be humanely possible as his dark, shadowed eyes focused once more on the auburn haired boy. Before Nice could react, he threw his chainsaw. The teen dodged. At that moment, the insane madman sprinted up and put his thin, white fingers against Nice's forehead.

"I win," the man hissed. "It's a real shame you wouldn't join me… you had potential, boy."

Cursing, Murasaki removed his glasses. As much as Nice annoyed him, he couldn't just let this guy do… whatever he was about to do to his partner.

The Sonic Minimum Holder's sky blue orbs widened as the hand made contact.

_Fire… it was everywhere… devouring everything… the houses… all burning… Trees groaning as the flames climbed up their trunks… children shrieking… mothers crying… men yelling… animals screeching with alarm… birds taking off, startled from their sleep… the thick smell of smoke… everything was burning… dying… The smell of burning vegetation and human flesh… A red moon hung over the starless night sky… the stench of blood…_

「しないでください。。。」

「Don't…」

_A lone boy, curled up and crying… So loud… Why were his cries so loud? Who was the boy? Where was this?_

_Nice looked closer at the child. He couldn't have been more than four. He had auburn hair, and looked familiar…_

_As if sensing him, the child looked up. Blue eyes met blue._

「それは停止させる。。。」

「Make it stop…」

_**Ah, that's right... Me...**__ Nice thought hazily. __**That child is me…**_

"_Mamma?" the boy called tearfully. "Pappy? Where are you? I'm scared!" the child whimpered. _

_Two corpses… flames danced around their burnt, lifeless bodies… blood poured out of the wound… the knife went deep, right into their hearts… the crimson liquid pooled around them… a woman… and a man… face down… bloodied… burning… blood… so much blood…_

「俺はこれをしたくない。。。」

「I don't want this…」

"_MAMMY! PAPPY!" Memory-Nice screamed. The boy began to breathe heavily. Soon he was gasping for air. "No… no… NO! MAMMY! PAPPY!" No response. Memory-Nice knelt down, his head in his hands. Real Nice couldn't see the boy's expression. The poor thing was trembling like a leaf in a storm. "This can't be happening… no… no… no…"_

「俺は···ではない、もう一度これを見ないでください。。。ください。。。」

「Don't make me see this… not again... Please…」

_Memories flooded Nice's mind – the past that he had long since forgotten – or rather, tried to forget. He had been so traumatized his brain had come to the conclusion that it would be dangerous for that memory to remain. His mind had locked that memory deep in his subconsciousness without being aware that he was doing it. But now it all came rushing back, like a restless tsunami that finally broke past the defending wall. Memory Nice screamed. Real Nice screamed along with him. Both voices were agonized and full of anguish. The pain of losing everything you ever held dear was simply too unbearable._

「それは停止させる。。。それは停止させる。。。それは停止させる。。。それは停止させる！」

「Make it stop… Make it stop… Make it stop… MAKE IT STOP!」

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_

_"Do you want the pain to stop?"  
_

_Nice looked up. A shadowed figure stood in front of him. His voice was as soft and gentle._

_"I can help you. Do you want the pain to stop?" the figure asked again._

_"Yes," Nice whispered, tears leaking out. _

_"Then take my hand," the figure cooed._

_So lost was he in his pain that he obeyed immediately._

「彼は毒に浸したため、彼はただ手を伸ばし、ドアの取っ手を実現しない、考え直しなしでそれを取った。。。」

「He took it without a second thought, not realizing the handle of the door he just reached out for was dipped in poison...」

_As soon as their fingers touched, he figure's hand closed around his own and pulled. Nice was dully aware of triumphant laughter as he fell into what seemed like a deep void._

_He was falling... falling... falling..._

_Then he knew no more..._

* * *

Murasaki couldn't stop himself from letting out a surprised gasp as Nice fell to his knees.

"What are you doing to him?" the silver haired man demanded, his Holder power charging up as the red rimmed glasses were discarded.

The wild man in the coat grinned at him, revealing crooked brown teeth. "My Minimum Holder ability is Memory Recital!" he laughed, his eyes wild. He threw his hands out and grinned wider, cackling. His tongue lolled out. Spittle flew from his thin lips. "By being in contact with the person, I can reach into their mind and bring forth their darkest, deepest, most painful memories! That's how I trapped those puny humans – I called up their worst memory, and replay it. They become so caught up in their pathetic fears they can't even fight back! Isn't that a laugh!" The man's voice lowered to a purr. He licked his lips. "And I _must_ say, this boy's memories are particularly… _delicious_."

"Sicko," Murasaki growled, lunging forwards.

Then Nice opened his mouth and_ screamed_.

All else was forgotten. Even the madman had finally realized the full force of who he was dealing with and let go – not that he had much of a choice. The sound threw everything back. Walls crumbled. Doors exploded. Windows shattered. Birds screeched and took off. In mere seconds, the house was annihilated.

But the cry did not stop. Nice screamed on. The very ground trembled. Dirt and soil were pushed away by a force that none but one could see. Insects, spiders and mice alike scuttled for dear life. Moments later a crater had formed, the center being where the abandoned two story wooden house had once stood.

And in the middle of the center knelt Nice. Murasaki was pinned to the remains of the floorboards by the force of the noise, unable to twitch a finger, much less move.

_Minimum Overload,_ he thought with dawning horror. It had been a possibility that the scientists who devoted their time studying the fascinating Minimum Holders had come up with. Like all people, Minimum Holders had an emotional limit. If people hit that limit, they would crack. _Unlike_ all people, the additional super-abilities that these rare humans wielded made breaking said limit much more dangerous, and with far more dire consequences. It had been a simple theory based on what they knew about the human mind. When a Minimum Holder completely snaps, their powers go berserk along with them. The stronger the Holder, the more powerful and wide-ranged these attacks will be. But since no Holder had actually 'broke', the theory remained just that – a theory.

_「__壊滅__。。。」_

_「Destruction…__」_

_Well, not so much of a theory any more, is it?_ Murasaki thought grimly. And of course, it just _had_ to be Nice – _the_ most talented and powerful Holder who had gotten the highest mark in history when tested at the Facultas Academy, and whose very _existence_ is a classified secret.

Oh joy.

There were a lot of reasons that the scientists had predicted possible that could make a person snap. Anger, terror, greed… even immense hunger or thirst can push someone over the edge. But what Murasaki heard in his partner's yell was nothing of the sort.

It was full of pain and… sadness. Pure, overwhelming _sadness._

_What did he show him?!_ Murasaki gritted his teeth, and forced his eyelids to fight against the raging force. His violet eyes widened at what they saw.

Nice's eyes were squeezed shut, his lips open in a long wordless shriek, filled with pain and grief. His hands were clasped tightly around his head. The green headphones were on. Blood was trickling out from behind them, staining the green gadget with red. The teen's entire body was shivering – or maybe that was just because of the vibrations that shook the air around him. His clothes were buffeted by the unseen gale of sound. But it was the hot tears streamed down his angular face that startled Murasaki the most. Never – _never_ – had he seen Nice anything close to this.

"_NICE, YOU IDIOT!_" Murasaki bellowed, trying to make his partner hear him over the deafening screech. "_SNAP OUT OF IT!"_

_「__目を覚ます__!__」_

_「Wake up!__」_

But his words fell on deaf ears as the noise continued. Its range of destruction was getting wider and wider. Soon it may well hit the city. Murasaki gritted his teeth. _It'll be one heck of a pain of we have to clean up this mess…_

Just as he was about so yell something again, the noise stopped. The destruction stopped. _Everything, _including time itself, seemed to stop.

The new silence was almost as deafening as the previous terrifying yet heart-wrenching scream had been.

Murasaki let out a relieved breath – the noise's wave of obliteration hadn't reached the city.

He looked down, realizing he was lying face down on the side of the crater. He shakily pushed himself up, dusting himself off with slightly trembling hands. A quick check told him all his limbs were still somehow in their correct alignment. Looking down to his left, he saw the frame of his glasses peeking out from under all the rubble it had been buried in, and frowned. Nice was going to have to pay for that. For now, he just had to be careful not to accidentally crush anything with his super charged hands.

Speaking of Nice…

The purple eyed male surveyed his surroundings. His eyes focused on the still kneeling figure at the center of the ring of obliteration. A chilly wind blew across the newly formed dent in the earth, blowing away some dead leaves. The clouds of dust was only just beginning to settle. Cautiously, he began making his way over to the motionless teen, weary of any giveaway signs of another attack.

"Nice?" he called out. All that came out was an inaudible croak. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Nice?"

The said boy shuddered once, violently, as if a tremor was passing through his body. Then he collapsed, trembling. But before Murasaki had taken five steps, he was moving again. Slowly, his partner got back up to his feet, his back facing the silver haired male. He seemed to be observing his surroundings. He moved his fingers and arms almost experimentally.

Murasaki rolled his eyes. Trust Nice to make a scene then act like nothing really happened.

"Oi, Nice, are you-"

His sentence was cut off when his partner seemingly materialized in front of him and grabbed him by the neck, effectively cutting off his oxygen supply, then lifting him into the air with a strength that he _definitely_ should not process. His disheveled hair shielded most of his face from sight.

"N-Ni-c-e-" the older man choked out, painfully lifting one hand to clasp around him companion's wrist in a weak attempt to pull it off. But without air, his strength failed him. His arm fell back limply to his side. A small part of his brain that wasn't utterly confused and alarmed was somewhat annoyed that he, Murasaki, was so pitifully powerless against the younger teen.

Then the auburn haired teen looked up, revealing his shadowed face.

Murasaki noticed several things at once.

One - the teen was still wearing his headphones, therefore his powers were still in use.

Two – the adolescent's ears were still bleeding. The crimson liquid ran down the side of his face, dripping steadily onto his clothes.

Three – the teenager was completely unperturbed about the devastation he had caused moments ago or the blood that trickled from himself.

Four… His partner usually did not have such an evil smirk, wear such an uncaring expression, or hold such a cruel light in his azure eyes.

Even though they looked exactly the same down to the last inch…

This individual was not Nice.

_「そしてもう一つは、闇に落ちた_。。。_」_

_「And another one fell to the darkness…__」_

Almost as if he had read his thoughts, the teen holding him by the neck chuckled darkly and grinned up at him, showing his teeth in a Birthday-like smile that did not go well on his face at all. His own blood smudged over his cheeks only added to the picture.

"Oh, yer absolutely right. I'm not Nice," he drawled, smirking knowingly with his partner's features. That sound, too, was the same - only this adolescent's voice was laced with unrestrained menace. "Nope. I most certainly ain't _nice_."

**Well? Did you like? Did you hate? Please review and tell me!**

**Also, I am not and do not speak Japanese. All Japanese in here is all off Google Translate, so there may be errors. If you speak/learn Japanese and see a mistake, please do tell me... Thank you!**

**Next Chapter: **

**「ナイス****はナイスではありません****」**

**「****Nice Is Not Nice****」**


	2. Nice is Not Nice

**Okay! Next chapter finally up! Thank you to everybody who reviewed.**

**The RoseShadow21 - Haha, yeah. I know I'm being a little mean to our favorite Sonic Minimum Holder, but I can't help it - I just love plots like this! And as for how it turns out at the end... You'll just have to wait and see! Mwahahahahaha- *chokes* -hahahaha!**

**diana - Thank you! And yes, I agree that his anime is really unique. Who doesn't love watching a group of super powered people running a private investigations detective office and a creepy guy who calls brains his 'lovers'?**

**Barbara Davis - Thank you! And as for the update... here it is!**

**Sorane - Thank you!**

**Ideop's - Thank you! And no, your English is very good. I'm sure a fanfic for Hamatora in French will be brilliant!  
**

**cutekitty5597 - Thank you!**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Hamatora the Animation. I would not be jumping up and down for the next episode if I did.**

**「ナイスはナイスではありません」**

**「****Nice Is Not Nice****」**

"If you're not Nice," Murasaki rasped, gulping for air as he dangled helplessly in the teen's iron grip, "then who are you?"

'Nice' paused as if considering, then tilted his head slightly to the side, still grinning. Abruptly, he dropped the silver haired male. Murasaki dropped to his knees, one hand pressed against his chest, inhaling large amounts of oxygen as his heart calmed down from the sudden shock to his system. He was no fool – he knew full well how close he had just come to certain death. He eyed the new individual who had just walked a few paces away to seemingly examine their surroundings from the corner of his eye. The question was, why? If he really wanted to, then _why_ didn't he just go ahead and kill him? Was he messing around? Testing his strength? Seeing how he would react?

_It's almost like he's experimenting,_ Murasaki observed as he watched the adolescent look down and flex the fingers that he had almost killed him with. He forced himself to stand back up on unsteady legs. _As if he's testing how much he can do… _

_「__新しいおもちゃで子供のよう__に__。。。」_

_「__Like a child with a new toy…__」_

"Well, since ya asked, I suppose I should tell ya." The adolescent that was once his partner turned around, his hands now stuck in his pockets. It was funny how intimidating such a casual action which Nice used to always do could become. The teen positioned one foot on the broken remains of a table, and looked down at Murasaki with amused yet icy cold orbs of blue. This individual, he noted, spoke with a slight accent that Murasaki couldn't quite place his finger on. Osakan, maybe? "I'm everythin' that _Nice_ was not. For starters, unlike that pathetic sloppy idiot, I don' believe in that 'helping others' trash. Did ya hear 'im? 'I'll complete any job I accept…'" the boy imitated, pitching his voice mockingly. "What a naïve fool!" he spat, his eyes flashing with annoyance as the corners of his mouth turned downwards. "And all that talk about not using his power for 'bad purposes'? Ha!" He gave a loud, barking laugh and smirked. Then his eyes turned even colder than before. "Power is _meant_ ter be used! There _is_ not 'good' or 'bad'. There's only 'strong' and 'weak'. The strong have the rights to rule. The weak can only cower in the shadows. That's all there is to it. It always had been, still is, and will continue ter be how this world works."

Murasaki's face was carefully arranged in a neutral mask. But on the inside, even as he was still struggling to get over his shock, his brain was already going at a hundred miles an hour, evaluating and filing the information he heard or observed and calculating a way to attack.

"Nice knows all this too, ya know," he added. His nose crinkled. "But he's too stubborn, too scared, too _weak _ter admit it," he sneered. "That's why he chooses ter be a wimp – to turn his back against the truth."

Murasaki's eye twitched. He had to admit, he was surprised. Was this really what Nice thought?

The teenager that looked so much liked his partner smiled wider as he noticed the slight reaction the statement drew from the other man. "What, did ya think that he was just a simple moron? I don't blame ya. He really does like ter act like a complete idiot, don' 'e?" his smirk turned into a snarl. "That's just another reason 'e's so _pathetic_. Little weeny Nice-kun thinks it'll be _all better_ if 'e goes n' 'ides behind a mask," he cooed in a falsely sweet voice as if he was speaking to a young child.

_「__それはすべてのマスクだけだっ__た__。。。」_

_「__It was all just a mask…__」_

"And what proof do you have for your claim?" Murasaki inquired. If he still had his glasses, he would by pushing them further up the bridge of his nose right now. But since his glasses were buried somewhere amongst the rubble, he had to make do with fixing the teenager with a controlled stare.

"Nothing!" he said gleefully, now rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, cackling with laughter as if he had just told a great joke. Murasaki couldn't help but wonder about this look-alike's sanity. His words made sense and his reasoning was clear and justified, if a little wacked out, but his attitude gave the impression that he had a few screws loose up there. "All ya have is my word for it. Whether ya believe it or not is up ter yew ter decide – not that it matters now, anyways," he chortled.

"Besides," he continued, sending Murasaki a sly, sideways glance, tapping a long, thin finger pointedly against his own chin as if he was thinking hard, "it's not like ya _really_ consider 'im a _friend_, do ya?" Murasaki's eyes widened. "Ooh, sorry, is that a touchy subject?" the auburn head teased. "Yer don' like bein' _second place_, do ya?" Then his eyes turned hard as he added, "But that's true, ain't it, _Murasaki_? That's just the way ya work, isn't it? Everythin's always just for the bigger profit. After all…" he held out his fingers. "Birthday, Hajime, Koneko, Master, Ratio, Art…" he counted them off one by one, an icy smile tilting the corners of his lips and a cruel light shining in his eyes all the while as he read the elder man's body language and enjoying the discomfort and uneasiness he was causing. "How much do you _really_ know about 'em, Murasaki, hmm? How much do_ they_ really know about _you_? How much do you really know about your own _work partner_? Ah, sorry. _Ex_ work partner now, ain't it?" he corrected himself.

Murasaki's forehead creased in a light frown. The grain of truth in his words made him slightly uncomfortable.

_「__どれだけあなたが実際にあなたのいわゆる「友人」について知っていますか__？__」_

_「__Just how much do you actually know about your so called 'friends'?__」_

"That has nothing to do with our conversation right now," the silver haired man brushed the question aside, his hands already clenched in a fist. He may only have one chance to stop this new 'Nice' if he wanted to contain the damage before this turned into a full-out fight. A small bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. "You haven't answered my first question. _Who are you_?"

"Oh, yeah," the teen remembered. "Hmm… got a bit side-tracked there. 'Opefully I ain't pickin' up any of that moron's habits…"

Murasaki took that as a chance to strike. Taking a running start, he leapt up, twisting his body in the air. His fingers closed around the green headphones still perched on 'Nice's' head. There was a satisfying 'crack' as the flimsy plastic snapped under the force of his extra strong grip. As Murasaki landed again on the other side with a heavy 'thump', his feet kicking up more dust into the air as he hit the ground. He let out a sigh of relief. Whoever this guy was, he still had Nice's Minimum. Without his headphones, he shouldn't be able to activate his ability. Murasaki silently thanked whatever god out there who decided to give him this power that his own Minimum involved taking his glasses _off_ instead of vice versa, or he would _really_ be in a bit of a pinch. On the other hand, Nice without his headphones was just a normal teenager.

_「__彼はそうでしょ__？__」_

_「__Isn't he?__」_

"You're powerless now," Murasaki stated coolly, turning around to keep the younger male in view. "Quietly behave and come with me, and we'll see if Ratio knows how to fix this… problem." Or else this could really become a little worrying.

But instead of looking angry, worried, crestfallen or whatever other reaction one might expect from someone who had just been told that they were completely at the mercy of the other, the auburn haired youth was _laughing_.

"Really, Murasaki?" he chided. "Taking off my _headphones_? I purposefully gave ya the perfect chance ta attack me ta see what ya would do, and ya _break my headphones_?" he burst into another gale of laughter, shaking his head. "That's pathetic, that is, _partner_. I expected better from ya."

Murasaki had absolutely no time to react when 'Nice's' fist connected painfully with his stomach. Nor could he block the next fifty blows. At least, he _thought_ it was fifty. The younger teen was all but a blur as he attacked at nearly the speed of sound. It could have been ten times more. Murasaki wouldn't have a clue. He couldn't even register the first shot of pain before the second, third and fourth followed. So when the ceaseless assaults finally came to an end, most of the agony hit him all at once. Blood poured from his mouth as he fell face first into the cold dirt. Several of his ribs were broken. Two of them had pierced both of his lungs. His right arm and leg were dislocated, along with a large amount of broken bones as well as countless bruises. He was also bleeding seriously on the inside. But Murasaki didn't know any of this. All he knew was that everywhere _hurt _like heck. Right now, he was sure that he couldn't possibly be in any more agony than he was already in. Inky blackness was already seeping into the edges of his vision.

_「__あなたから目を覚ますことはありませんスリー__プ__。。。」_

_「__A sleep you will never wake up from…__」_

The cold individual who had caused all of his injuries calmly observed him, like a builder inspecting his handiwork. There wasn't a single flicker of emotion – pity, sympathy, or even the earlier sadness and fear – in those eyes whatsoever. To him, killing a human was no more than squashing an annoying bug. Murasaki saw that now. And right at this moment, _he_ was the bug. 'Nice' wasn't keeping him alive out of kindness or any such similar reasons. No. He was simply doing to because he felt like it – watching him fight for air and struggling for survival like a fly that had just had its wings pulled off or a fish taken out of the water, then seeing how long he would last before he withered away and died.

_「__俺は死ぬつもり__だ__。。。」_

_「__I'm going to die…__」_

As he lay bleeding, both externally and internally, listening to the sound of his own ragged, gasping breathing, he found that the thought that he was going to really die actually mildly surprised him. He had always known that it was going to happen someday, of course. But he really hadn't expected it to be so soon. He had sometimes amused himself by wondering how the inevitable was going to happen. Somehow, he didn't really think that his life was going to end in something petty like a traffic accident. He _was_ a Minimum Holder, after all – and a pretty good one at that. Getting run over by a truck? Not likely. But even though he was a Holder, he was still a human. Whether it was because he caught a deadly disease or he was killed in battle with an enemy… in the end, he would die, just like the rest of them.

_Huh. Guess being a Minimum Holder doesn't make you so special after all…_

But then again, being killed by his own work partner hadn't exactly been that high on his list. He _had_ contemplated the possibility for a while, but couldn't really come up with a reason as to _why_ they would do so. The most likely possibility he had thought of was if he was being controlled by another Minimum Holder, and they were forced to take action. Or maybe if he betrayed them. But even these two were doubtful since, Nice being Nice, as much as he hated to admit it, would probably just beat the stuffing out of him then force him to go back and repent or something.

He had to say, he never expected the opposite to be true.

_「__俺は本当にこのように死ぬつもり__だ__。。。」_

_「__I'm really going to die like this…__」_

"How…" he croaked out, then had a coughing fit. More blood splattered onto the ground, dyeing the dirt with its vivid red.

The teen grinned as he looked down at the beaten up man lying at his feet. He was completely at his mercy, and he knew it. Choices, choices… should he just kill him? But then again, that would be too boring, so he decided to answer his question before the man's life drained out completely from his body. "Eh? Didn't Nice tell ya? Okay then… since ya wanna know so bad…" he crouched down so they were almost at eye level. "Ya know how Nice has two actions, right? The 'eadphones thing an' the finger click, yea?" Being unable to nod, Murasaki simply remained silent and listened. 'Nice's' smirk grew wider. "Well, what ya dunno is tha' only _one_ o' 'em is ter real action." He leaned in closer so that he was speaking into Murasaki's ear. "After all," he whispered, "Ya don't _seriously_ think that ta top graduate from Facultas Academy's level is only at what 'e's displayed in front of ya so far, right?"

Relization forced Murasaki's violet eyes to widen.

"Bingo! Yer got it!" he crowed, straightening up so he was looking down at the silver-head once more. "It's ta 'eadphones!" he confirmed, kicking the said broken equipment away with contempt. "Only reason 'e puts 'em on is 'cause they _limit_ 'is own power! I gotta admit, though, I woulda forgotten 'bout 'em if ya hadn't gone 'n snapped it in half. Don't feel too bad though, mate – I woulda gone 'n done it anyways.

Now," he continued, speaking to him as if he was some lowly animal, "will ya be a good boy and stay 'ere on yewr own? Watchin' ya is startin' ter get a bit borin' - no offence. No complaints? No hard feelin's? Good." He turned around and began walking away. Murasaki could only watch helplessly as the distance between them grew further and further. "Ja ne!" he called back with a small wave. "Don' expect I'll ever be seein' ya again."

The teen took another three steps before he paused, turning around back to the motionless Murasaki. "Oh, yea! I still 'aven't answered ya first question!" he jerked his thumb towards himself, his face splitting once more into a Birthday-like smile. "The name's Mean," he said. "Don' wear it out. Ah, but then again," he added almost as an afterthought as his eyes flashed in cruel amusement, "I dun think yer'll be able ter." With a final grin and a wave, the teenager that called himself Mean left.

_What am I doing? _Murasaki groaned, closing his eyes against the agony. _I can't _Nice_ of all people get the better of me! _With a superhuman effort, he forced his arm to move. Judging from the awkward position, it was, along with what felt like fifty other bones in his body, broken. Letting out a string of colourful words in his mind and still gasping for oxygen, he managed to pull put his cellphone and hit the first number he saw.

_That idiot had better answer._ Murasaki winced as a fresh shot of pain flashed through his body.

"_Yeah, Murasaki? What do ya want? I was just about to have lunch. Ya got any salt, by any chance?"_

Panting, Murasaki gasped out, "Th-this isn't time for o-one of your stu…upid jo-okes, Birthday," he wheezed.

"_What's wrong? Ya sound like you just ran an entire marathon!"_

"W-whate…ever. A-are you… are y-ou…" A coughing fit shook his entire frame as more of the red liquid splattered over the iPhone in his quivering fingers. "F…far aw-ay?"

Thankfully, even Birthday seemed to realize that the situation was serious. _"Where are ya?" _

Murasaki rasped out the location between fits of coughing.

"_Alright. The Doc and I'll be right there. Hold on."_

The line went dead. The phone fell onto the dusty ground. Murasaki fought to keep his eyes open. Somewhere In the back of his mind, he realized that the blood was pooling around him, staining his already red coat into a darker shade of crimson. He took no notice.

_Nice…_

His instincts screamed at him that he shouldn't sleep, but he was just so… so so tired…

His eyelids drifted closed…

… _what happened to you?_

* * *

Weariness covered him like a thick, fluffy blanket, urging him to stay safe and comfortable within its gentle holds forever. His own breathing sounded so loud in his ears. Pain still throbbed dully at the back of his skull. He wanted to sleep, but his mind kept interrupting him with pieces of information. Small snippets of conversations came in and out of earshot, fading out almost as fast as they came.

"_-y! Hey! … -ake! Yo-… ca-… sleep! … -ay aw-…"_

"_Wi-… be… alright?"_

"…_-ot sure… critical… -dition…"_

"_-tay with us… -saki-san!"_

"_Wh…re's Nice? Wh… -appened?"_

His brow furrowed. Nice? Oh, that's right… his work partner… Did something happen to Nice? Did something happen to _him_? He vaguely recalled that something had gone wrong, but the memory teased him, remaining just out of reach…

"_-unno, he wa… -ike this whe… found him."_

"…_ybe anoth… Minim… Holder attac… -ed them?"_

Another Minimum Holder attacked them? Yes… there _had_ been a Minimum Holder… Hadn't there? But it wasn't someone he didn't know… It was…

Purple orbs snapped back into awareness and the heart monitor gave a loud beep.

"Nice!"

"Whoa, there!" Birthday said, taking a step back as he put his taser away. "Way to announce your return to the world of the living!"

"Murasaki-san!" Koneko said in relief, her eyes full of worry. "Are you okay?"

"What happened?"

"Dude, you looked like something a dog left behind when we found ya!"

"Were you attacked?"

"Who did it?"

Ratio held up a hand, halting the onslaught of inquiries. "Stop bombarding him with questions, you guys. Give him some room. He still needs to recover from a near-death injury, remember?"

Glancing around, Murasaki took in his surroundings. Bleached white walls, vases of flowers, plain cream curtains, the smell of medicine… His right arm was in a sling, and his leg was covered in a cast, suspended above the bed by a simple contraption that hung from the ceiling. Someone – Birthday, he assumed - had taken the freedom of doodling all over it with coloured markers. His eye twitched in a way of displaying that he was not pleased with having crooked rainbows and badly drawn dancing unicorns sprouting colourful rude words printed all over his leg. Which was probably the reason the blond troublemaker had done it in the first place. He would have to get him back for that somehow, once he could move his arm again.

"I'm in a hospital?"

Birthday snorted. "Great observation, Sherlock."

Murasaki ignored the sarcastic comment. "What happened?"

"That's what _we_ wanna know!" the blonde returned. "But if you're talking about after we found you collapsed on the side of that crater, Ratio did some first aid on you and we took ya to the hospital."

"You've already been here for two months," Koneko informed him, her voice laced with worry.

_「__そんなに時間はすでに失われ__た__。。。」_

_「__So much time lost already…__」_

"Who managed to do this to you?" Birthday demanded. "Well, I know that if it was me, I would have kicked his sorry-"

Murasaki closed his eyes. Birthday's loud, arrogant voice was starting to give him an unwanted headache. "Where's Nice?"

There was a tense silence.

"We were waiting for you to tell _us_." Murasaki opened his eyes to look down at the young girl who had spoken. Two whole months… Hajime's voice and face was as neutral as ever, but everyone was well aware that Nice may well be the closest thing she had to family. He had been the kindest to her at her time of need, and had looked after her and cared for her in his own way ever since they first met. She looked up to him as a brotherly figure. And now the only family she had was torn away from her… Murasaki wasn't so oblivious as to believe the careless attitude that the child was displaying.

"Not today," Murasaki decided firmly. After just waking up from a near-death injury, he certainly wasn't in the mood to deal with the drastic reactions that was sure to come as soon as he recounted what he had seen. "I'll tell you another time."

_「__あなただけ失速してい__る__。。。」_

_「__You're just stalling…__」_

Birthday opened his mouth to protest, but his partner grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back with a warning shake of his head.

"Alright. You can talk when you're ready. We'll leave you now – you should rest," the doctor advised. The only reply was a small nod. One by one, the Hamatora Pl Office members filed out. Hajime was the last to leave. The raven haired girl met his eyes for a split second before walking away. Finally left to himself, Murasaki sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his free arm. It was only then that he realized he was wearing a new pair of glasses. He would have to thank Master later.

Even though it had been two months, his body still ached and throbbed painfully when he moved and the memory of the one sided fight was fresh on his mind. Exhaling, he leaned back into the pillows of his hospital bed and stared up at the plain white ceiling, his brow furrowed in thought. The clean bedsheets crumpled as his uninjured hand clenched into a fist.

How was he going to break the news to them?

**Meh. Hopefully it wasn't too bad... Please don't hate me...** **I know I'm bad at writing...**

**Oh, yes. About Mean's accent? I have NO idea where that came from. I guess I just want him and Nice to be as different as possible. And YES, I KNOW that 'Mean' is a extremely lame name. But it has four letters as well, and it's the EXACT opposite of 'nice', so...**

**And yes, yes, about his headphones... well, all the other Minimum Holders only have one action, right? So why does NICE have two? Ever wondered that? I did. With that in mind, this idea was born! And YES, as I admitted in the first chapter, I KNOW it is impossible in the real series. But like I said, this IS a FanFICTION.**

**Today, our special guest is Murasaki-san!**

**Murasaki - YOU MADE ME SOUND SO WEAK AND STUPID! *removes glasses***

**Me - Haha... yeah... er... about that... um... wait... I can explain... violence is never the answer... Please review! Eeep! *dodges super powered fist and runs for dear life***

**Next Chapter - **

**「分身」**

**「Alter Ego****」**


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